Refugees’ and asylum seekers’accounts of racism

10 April 2013

Dr Steve KirkwoodLecturer in Social Work

The University of Edinburghs.kirkwood@ed.ac.uk

Prof Andy McKinlay – The University of EdinburghProf Chris McVittie – Queen Margaret University

Overview

Previous research Research question Method Analysis – 3 extracts Conclusions

Previous research ‘New racism’ & majority group discourse

(e.g., Every & Augoustinos, 2007; Lynn & Lea, 2003; Wetherell & Potter, 1992)

Minority group members denying racism (e.g., Colic-Peisker, 2005; Verkuyten, 2005)

Accounts of racial abuse (e.g., Stokoe & Edwards, 2007)

Minimisations of violence (e.g., Gavey, 2005; Reavey, Ahmed & Majumdar, 2006)

Research question

How do victims of seemingly racially motivated violence construct their experiences through

interview discourse?

Method

Interviews in English in Glasgow with refugees and asylum seekers about life in Scotland

15 interviewees (10 men 5 women) 11 different countries In UK 7 months - 11 years (M = 6 years) Interview length: 18-64mins (M = 33mins) 7 interviewees reported violence against them

Extract 1R4: I had no troubles in [area of Glasgow] you know but when I came

here (3.0) you know (.) I started getting people calling me names and stuff um=

SK: =okayR4: (1.2) throwing stuff at me, sometimes you know when I when I

would be walking down this road (1.6) some bored people are up there (.)

SK: yeah=R4: =you know when you'd walk past they'd throw things at [you]SK: [right]R4: and stuff like that (0.6) I'm thinking that's just (.) that's probably

about (.) my colour or something like that, you have to think like this because there's no other reason (.) but some people are just bored they would probably =

SK: =hehR4: do it to anybody you know

Extract 2 R13: it is common in the world that maybe in [country of origin] somebody (0.8) uh doesn't like (.) anybody from another country,SK: right=R13: =that's true because they didn't know (.) why we are hereSK: mmmR13: (.) sometimes they told me (.) black (.) come back in your country

(1.0) uh and my and my son has a problem (0.8) in the street front my eyes

SK: yeahR13: um that um (.) the the mmm Scottish uh student (.) um (1.8) kick

my son with glass (1.0) and (0.8) I told (0.8) why? (0.7) with (.) the Scottish people, why? (0.6) and he told (0.8) mmm oh (0.6) you c- and

you must (.) come back in your country, why you is (.) come here?[…]

R13: his head teacher (0.8) told (.) this uh (1.3) student (0.8) is very bad (1.0) and his wr- his behaviour is very bad (0.6) and uh I told (0.8) no he is good (1.0) he didn't know (0.9) uh (1.3) about everything

Extract 3R9: I was attacked twice (.) SK: oh reallyR9: (.) I came here (.) in (.) Glasgow having all my teethSK: reallyR9: (.) and as you see now all this part ((points to missing teeth)) (.) is fully goneSK: yeahR9: (.) and (.) now I was attacked twiceSK: geez=R9: =in the citySK: godR9: (.) and I did nothing to nobody (.)SK: geezR9: and even I don't know (.) them those people who are (.) did did this to me SK: (.) godR9: and they just came me I'm (0.7) I mean four three guys (.)SK: geez=R9: =giving me punches y- you know b- you know (0.8) and that was you know

I mean (0.5) I said I mean (0.8) these guys you know they're animals

R9: (0.8) even the eh- I even I (.) even (0.9) they were not even an- m- animals but they're more than animals because (0.6) the animals (.) animal unless you do something to them (.) they won't come for you

SK: mmmR9: so (.) I was wondering what they are savage (.)SK: mmmR9: and I say, what the hell is this I mean we are in two thousand- two thousand and tenSK: yeahR9: (.) so I mean the worl- the world had (0.8) is grown and and getting biggerSK: yeahR9: so (.) and nobody (.) nobody do this any more I mean (.) in this in the world (.) in the real worldSK: right yeahR9: yeah certainly so and I say (0.8) I did nothing to nobody, [as far] as I knowSK: [mmm]SK: yeahR9: (.) you know and I will say maybe (0.9) this thing is is my skin (1.5) yeah and I hate to say that (.)

Conclusions

Accusations of racism managed sensitively Limit temporally and geographically Tentative, last explanation, negated Reduce culpability (ignorance / bored) Put explanation of racism ‘in play’

Racism always elsewhere (van Dijk, 1992) Parallels with 'new racism‘ Denial of racism legitimises presence Consequences for identifying hate crime

Main articleKirkwood, S., McKinlay, A. & McVittie, C. (2012). 'They're more than animals':

Refugees' accounts of racially motivated violence. The British Journal of Social Psychology. [Early view – E-mail for a copy]

ReferencesColic-Peisker, V. (2005). ‘At least you’re the right colour’: Identity and social

inclusion of Bosnian refugees in Australia. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 31, 615-638.

Every, D. & Augoustinos, M. (2007). Constructions of racism in the Australian parliamentary debates on asylum seekers. Discourse & Society, 4, 411-436.

Gavey, N. (2005). Just sex? The cultural scaffolding of rape. New York: Routledge.

Lynn, N. & Lea, S. (2003). ‘A phantom menace and the new Apartheid’: The social construction of asylum seekers in the United Kingdom. Discourse & Society, 14, 425-452.

References cont.Reavey, P., Ahmed, B., & Majumdar, A. (2006). 'How can we help when she

won't tell us what's wrong?' Professionals working with South Asian women who have experienced sexual abuse. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 16, 171-188.

Stokoe, E. & Edwards, D. (2007). ‘Black this, black that’: Racial insults and reported speech in neighbour complaints and policy interrogations. Discourse & Society, 18, 337-372.

Wetherell, M. & Potter, J. (1992). Mapping the language of racism: Discourse and the legitimation of exploitation. Hemel Hempstead: Harvester Wheatsheaf.

Verkuyten, M. (2005). Accounting for ethnic discrimination: A discursive study among minority and majority group members. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 24, 66-92.

Van Dijk, T.A. (1992). Discourse and the denial of racism. Discourse & Society, 3, 87–118.